Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

Back when Hattori used to watch *Naruto*, he often found himself complaining.

"Why do ninjas always shout the name of their attack before they strike? Wouldn't a silent sneak attack be more effective? Or is it impossible to cast the jutsu without yelling? And what about jutsus that come out of their mouths?"

Later, though, as he switched to reading the manga because the show updated too slowly, Hattori finally understood the author's struggle—

The manga is black and white, so if the ninjas didn't shout the names of their jutsus, no one would know how to tell a Water Dragon Bullet from a Fire Dragon Bullet or an Earth Dragon Bullet. In that moment, all of Hattori's criticisms turned into sympathy and understanding.

Masashi Kishimoto sure had it tough!

Once he understood, watching *Naruto* became a lot easier. What had once felt a bit awkward—ninjas calling out every technique—began to feel thrilling. Especially now!

Maki shouted, "Blade of the Wind!" and moved his hands swiftly. Instantly, the wolves rushing toward him seemed to be struck by an invisible blade, collapsing with pained howls.

Yashamaru was no less impressive.

He unleashed the *Controlling Blade*, and a dozen kunai floated before him. With a flick of his wrist, they shot forward, hitting several desert wolves and taking them down.

Seeing this, Hattori's eyes lit up.

"Wow, that's amazing! It's just like those sword-flying legends—taking down enemies from miles away… swoosh, swoosh!"

He couldn't help but mimic the motions himself.

Watching him, Rasa, who had been keeping a serious face, allowed a slight smile and shook his head.

"Impossible. No matter how powerful the puppeteer, the range for controlling tools is only a few dozen meters. Any farther, and it becomes difficult to maintain combat effectiveness, and the chakra cost is extreme."

"Uh..."

Hearing Rasa's comment, Hattori remembered.

In *Naruto*, the puppeteers, whether Kankuro, Chiyo, or Sasori, usually fought at close range, and none of their battles seemed to go beyond a hundred meters.

Even so, Hattori still thought puppet jutsu was fantastic.

It's safer! Normal ninjas have to personally engage the enemy, trading blows directly.

But puppeteers? They don't even have to show their face; they just control their puppets from hiding. Even if the enemy lands a hit, they only hit the puppet, not the puppeteer.

And an expert puppeteer can control multiple puppets at once, allowing them to gang up on an opponent, which increases their odds of winning.

If things go south, they can just abandon the puppets and flee. 

As the saying goes, "Where there's life, there's hope." As long as the puppeteer survives, they can always make new puppets.

More importantly, Hattori had confidence in his control skills!

"Remember the days I ruled Summoner's Rift, unmatched in my lane, regularly diving enemies under their towers? With my advanced mechanics and positioning, only the best could hope to see me from afar. Ah, the solitude of a master!"

Getting into his self-hype, Hattori realized that the puppeteer role was practically tailor-made for him.

"When I get back, I definitely need to find a way to learn puppet jutsu from Chiyo. And I should pick up some regular jutsu too—more skills are always useful!"

Rasa, unaware of Hattori's thoughts, assumed his excitement was due to Maki and Yashamaru's battle skills.

At this point, the "human-wolf war" ahead had concluded. The wolves, heavily injured, decided not to risk further losses and retreated with mournful howls.

As the wolves withdrew, Maki and Yashamaru returned to Rasa's side. They looked calm, suggesting they still had energy to spare.

Rasa nodded approvingly at the scene.

"Well done. Let's get moving. Try to reach our destination by noon tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

Maki and Yashamaru answered in unison.

Seeing their energized expressions, Hattori couldn't help but brace himself, pulling his cloak tighter as he set off into the chilly night.

The desert was cold at night, dropping to below freezing. Hattori was grateful for his cloak and sand-proof outerwear, which helped him warm up after a while.

Traveling at night was easier, as the harsh sun wasn't blazing down on them, making the journey more manageable.

As dawn broke, the group finally left the open desert, arriving at a vast plateau scattered with stones and sparse vegetation.

It was then that Rasa spoke up again.

"Rest here. Stay put until I return."

With that, a large, golden mass of sand gathered beneath his feet, lifting him into the air until he vanished from Hattori's view.

Seeing this, Hattori was momentarily stunned before muttering in annoyance.

"Seriously, if he has such a convenient flying technique, why not just fly us to our destination? Stingy."

Yashamaru quickly explained.

"It's not like that. Lord Rasa isn't being stingy; this technique drains a lot of chakra, so it's not feasible to take us all on a long trip!"

"Exactly!"

Maki nodded as soon as Yashamaru finished.

"Flying also makes you an easy target. If someone were to spot and intercept us, it would be dangerous. That's why Lord Rasa is scouting ahead on his own!"

"Oh… I see."

Hearing their explanation, Hattori scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry, this is my first time outside the village, so I didn't realize. You guys know a lot!"

"Heh, of course!"

Maki grinned proudly at the compliment.

"I graduated from the ninja academy at eight and made chunin by twelve. I've completed over a hundred D and C-rank missions and even a few B-ranks, either solo or as team leader. Yashamaru's got similar experience!"

"Wow, that's impressive—you've been taking on missions from such a young age!"

Outwardly, Hattori appeared impressed, but inwardly, he was thinking.

"It seems Sunagakure really is short on ninja if they're promoting at such a young age. Maki and Yashamaru are only at C-level strength, yet they've already been promoted to chunin and even take on B-rank missions. They're risking their lives!"

He allowed himself a wry smile at the thought.

"Good thing I'm just a medic-nin. Otherwise, as a special jonin, I'd probably be assigned A-rank missions. Wait—could the mission we're on now actually be A-rank?"